1. Field of Endeavor
The present invention relates to sample analysis and more particularly to a hand-held portable microarray reader.
2. State of Technology
U.S. Pat. No. 6,818,435 to Bruce L. Cavalho et al for microfluidics devices and methods for performing cell based assays provides the state of technology information set out below. The disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 6,818,435 is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference.                Recent developments in a variety of investigational and research fields have created a need for improved methods and apparatus for performing analytical, particularly bioanalytical assays at microscale (i.e., in volumes of less than 100 μL). In the field of pharmaceuticals, an increasing number of potential drug candidates require assessment of their biological function. As an example, the field of combinatorial chemistry combines various structural sub-units with differing chemical affinities or configurations into molecules; in theory, a new molecule having potentially unique biochemical properties can be created for each permutation of the sub-units. In this way, large libraries of compounds may be synthesized from relatively small numbers of constituents, each such compound being a potential drug lead compound of usually unknown biological activity and potency. Similarly, increasingly large numbers of targets for these putative therapeutic compounds are being discovered, many as a result of the growing information derived from such large-scale biological research as the sequencing of the human genome.        
U.S. Pat. No. 7,033,747 to John Francis Gordon for multi-parameter assays including analysis discs and methods relating thereto provides the state of technology information set out below. The disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 7,033,747 is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference.                There is a significant need to make diagnostic assays and forensic assays of all types faster and more local to the end-user. Ideally, clinicians, patients, investigators, the military, other health care personnel, and consumers should be able to test themselves for the presence of certain factors or indicators in their systems, and for the presence of certain biological material at a crime scene or on a battlefield. At present, there are a number of silicon-based chips with nucleic acids and/or proteins attached thereto, which are commercially available or under development, for performing biomedical, chemical, or biochemical assays. These chips are not for use by the end-user, or for use by persons or entities lacking very specialized expertise and expensive equipment. It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate at least one of these disadvantages by use of a relatively inexpensive assay system that can be used by the end user without specialized training.        
U.S. Pat. No. 7,141,416 to Siegfried Richard Krutzik for multi-purpose optical analysis optical bio-disc for conducting assays and various reporting agents for use therewith provides the state of technology information set out below. The disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 7,141,416 is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference.                The detection and quantification of analytes in the blood or other body fluids are essential for diagnosis of diseases, elucidation of the pathogenesis, and for monitoring the response to drug treatment. Traditionally, diagnostic assays are performed in laboratories by trained technicians using complex apparatus. Performing these assays is usually time-consuming and costly. Thus, there is a significant need to make diagnostic assays and forensic assays of all types faster and more local to the end-user. Ideally, clinicians, patients, investigators, the military, other health care personnel, and consumers should be able to test themselves for the presence of certain risk factors or disease indicators in their systems, and to test for the presence of certain biological material at a crime scene or on a battlefield. At present, there are a number of medical diagnostic, silicon-based, devices with nucleic acids and/or proteins attached thereto that are commercially available or under development. These chips are not for use by the end-user, or for use by persons or entities lacking very specialized expertise and expensive equipment.        
United States Published Patent Application No. 2003/0003464 by Brigitte C. Phan for dual bead assays including optical biodiscs and methods relating thereto provides the state of technology information set out below. The disclosure of United States Published Patent Application No. 2003/0003464 is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference.                There is a significant need to make diagnostic assays and forensic assays of all types faster and more local to the end-user. Ideally, clinicians, patients, investigators, the military, other health care personnel and consumers should be able to test themselves for the presence of certain factors or indicators in their systems, for the presence of certain biological material at a crime scene or on a battlefield. At present, there are a number of silicon based chips with nucleic acids and/or proteins attached thereto which are commercially available or under development. These chips are not for use by the end-user, or for use by persons or entities lacking very specialized expertise and expensive equipment.        
UK Patent Application No. GB 2,341,924 A for a microfluidic device provides the state of technology information set out below. The disclosure of UK Patent Application No. GB 2,341,924 A is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference.                It has now been found that microfluidic devices can be prepared in which fluid flow may be controlled by having different surfaces of the substrate forming the device having different surface characteristics. By “microfluidic devices” is meant devices that can handle microvolumes of reagents, for example samples of less than 9 μl, suitably less than 500 nl and preferably between 1 and 10 nl, may be introduced into the device. By “fluid” is meant dry powders and liquids, including suspensions of particulates in liquids.        
United States Published Patent Application No. 2007/0098596 by David P. Fries and Matthew Smith of the University of South Florida for a handheld microarray reader provides the state of technology information set out below. The disclosure of United States Published Patent Application No. 2007/0098596 is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference.                Microarray readers are devices used in biotechnology and other clinical and research settings. The readers utilize a “microarray”, such as can be made by putting a large number of tiny droplets of DNA, including cDNA, and proteins on glass slide or in a multi-well plate. Short pieces of DNA, called probes, are then applied to the DNAs on the slide. Alternatively, in the case of a protein, a molecule that selectively binds a protein of interest, such as an antibody, or fragment thereof, is applied to the sample and allowed to bind under appropriate conditions for specific binding to a target sample. Typically, the probes are fluorescent or luminescent, so they light up when short wavelength light is shone on them (the probes can also be labeled with other substances to reflect or otherwise emanate light when they are scanned). Microarrays can be used, for example, to study how large numbers of genes interact with each other (genes are made of DNA), or how a cell is able to simultaneously control vast numbers of genes.        The probes hybridize to targets on the microarray based upon complentarity under the stringency of the application. The microarrays are then put into a scanning microarray reader that measures the brightness of each fluorescent dot: the brighter the dot, the more probe, and thus the more target. DNA or other biological material, is present, thus allowing quantification of the sample based upon intensity against standards.        Microarrays can be used, for example, to study genomic content, how large numbers of genes interact with each other (genes are made of DNA), or how a cell is able to simultaneously control vast numbers of genes (expression patterns). Different types of microarrays include, but are not limited to, eDNA arrays, oligonucleotide arrays and protein arrays.        